Eitan’s immediate family was among 14 people killed when the cable car carrying them crashed into a mountainside on May 23. Both Peleg and Eitan’s aunt Aya Biran, who lives in Italy, were among the relatives present Thursday for the hearing. But the images of Eitan’s aunt and grandfather in the same building were striking given the tragedy and gravity of the dispute. Eitan’s relatives in Italy say he was taken without their knowledge and are seeking his return. The child’s relatives in Israel have denied to local media that they abducted Eitan and insist they are acting in his interest.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A Dubai real-estate company known for its deals with former President Donald Trump said Thursday it had received regulator approval for an effort to take the firm private. DAMAC Properties still plans to offer $595 million for outstanding shares of the company, the firm said in a filing on Dubai Financial Market stock exchange. It earlier announced plans in June for the offer to take the company private, then withdrew them as regulators examined the plan. The buyout would be through Maple Invest Co. Ltd., a holding company of DAMAC’s billionaire founder Hussain Sajwani. The company’s partnership with the Trump Organization to manage and run the golf course was struck before Trump’s election as U.S. president.

Saudi Arabia supports all efforts to resolve the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) crisis peacefully and in a binding manner that preserves the rights of Egypt and Sudan, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud said at the UN General Assembly meeting. He added that Saudi Arabia also supports solutions under the auspices of the UN to resolve all issues in Libya, Syria, and Afghanistan. Al Saud also urged to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, stressing the importance of making the Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction. Egypt and Sudan fear possible blows to water facilities, agricultural land, and overall availability of Nile water. Negotiations over the dam between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan have stalled for years, with the three parties ultimately failing to reach any agreements.

Children are dying every week in overcrowded camps in northeast Syria, NGO Save the Children said on Thursday. The charity said two children die each week in al-Hol, one of the overcrowded camps where families with suspected links to the “Islamic State” (IS) group are stranded. “Many of the world’s richest countries have failed to bring home the majority of their children stuck in” the two displacement camps, Save the Children said in a statement. At the Roj camp, just over half of all households reported being aware of child labor among children under the age of 11. ‘I cannot endure this life any more’Save the Children also interviewed several children living in al-Hol, where they say they live like prisoners.

Is the delta variant of the coronavirus worse for kids? Experts say there’s no strong evidence that it makes children and teens sicker than earlier versions of the virus, although delta has led to a surge in infections among kids because it’s more contagious. The delta variant has been identified in at least 180 countries, according to the World Health Organization. The sheer numbers can make it seem like children are getting sicker with the delta variant, but experts say that does not appear to be the case. Most infected kids have mild infections or no symptoms and do not need to be hospitalized.

“Some countries have vaccinated their populations, and are on the path to recovery. The move comes as world leaders, aid groups and global health organizations have growing increasingly vocal about the slow pace of global vaccinations and the inequity of access to shots between residents of wealthier and poorer nations. The World Health Organization says only 15% of promised donations of vaccines — from rich countries that have access to large quantities of them — have been delivered. The disparity in vaccine availability around the world “clearly does not demonstrate equality between the countries and peoples of this world,” Tshisekedi said. Climate change has been a major focus during this week’s General Assembly gathering.

What Jean didn’t expect was to find thousands of Haitian migrants like himself crossing at the same remote spot. The 38-year-old, his wife and two young children earlier this month joined as many as 14,000 mostly Haitian migrants camped under a Del Rio bridge. A confluence of factors caused the sudden sharp increase at the Texas town of about 35,000 residents. It also reflects the power of Facebook, YouTube and platforms like WhatsApp, which migrants use to share information that can get distorted as it speeds through immigrant communities, directing migration flows. In extending protections for Haitians this spring, the Biden administration cited security concerns and social unrest in the Western Hemisphere’s poorest country.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The head of the U.N. food agency is warning that 16 million people in Yemen “are marching towards starvation” and says food rations for millions in the war-torn nation will be cut in October unless new funding arrives. At a virtual pledging conference co-hosted by Sweden and Switzerland on March 1, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed for $3.85 billion for Yemen this year. In major pledges, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced an additional $290 million in humanitarian assistance for Yemen and the European Union said it was allocating an additional 119 million euros (about $139 million) in humanitarian and development aid. A Saudi-led coalition entered the war in March 2015, backed by the United States, to try restore Hadi to power, and threw its support behind his internationally backed government. Despite a relentless air campaign and ground fighting, the war has deteriorated largely into a stalemate and spawned the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

SHANGHAI, Sept 23 (Reuters) – US companies’ optimism about business conditions in China has recovered to hit three-year highs even though the firms have reservations about Beijing’s COVID-19 policy, an annual survey showed on Thursday. Beijing’s wide-ranging crackdown on companies has also unnerved US firms, an American industry lobby executive said. By contrast, in 2021, 10% of respondent companies described themselves as “pessimistic” about their five-year outlook, compared to 18% and 21% of respondents in 2020 and 2019, respectively. But firms expressed reservations toward some Chinese policy in the aftermath of COVID-19, especially with respect to hiring labour, the survey said. “Further hindering our members, many regulatory changes were enacted after our survey closed.

DUBAI, Sept 22 (Reuters) – Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz told the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday that his kingdom supports efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, as world leaders prepare to resume talks with Tehran to reinstate a 2015 nuclear pact. Iran and Saudi Arabia, leading Shi’ite and Sunni Muslim powers in the Middle East, have been rivals for years, backing allies fighting proxy wars in Yemen, Syria and elsewhere. His remarks followed a call by Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi to resume nuclear talks with world powers that would lead to the removal of U.S. sanctions. read moreIn his address, King Salman said Yemen’s Houthis were rejecting peaceful initiatives to end the war and that Saudi Arabia would defend itself against ballistic missiles and armed drones. He also made reference to Saudi Arabia fighting extremism.

“A new strategic economic agreement is expected to increase bilateral trade in goods to $100 billion within five years of the signed agreement,” the ministers said in a joint statement released on Wednesday. India is looking to boost exports through trade relationships and new pacts with a number of countries to revive its economy. With nearly $60 billion of bilateral trade, UAE is already India’s third-largest trading partner. UAE is also India’s second-largest export destination after the United States, with exports valued at about $30 billion. India’s top imports from the UAE include petroleum and petroleum products, precious metals, stones, gems and jewellery, minerals, chemicals and wood and wood products.

Egypt ranked first globally in orange exports, surpassing Spain, which was the world leader in the exports of orange. The total volume of Egypt’s exports of orange by the end of 2020 amounted to about 1.6 million tons. Egypt ranked first in frozen strawberries exports, while total exports during the period from January 2021 until now amounted to 3.7 million tons. The number of markets that were opened for Egyptian exports during the year 2020 so far reached 11 export markets for six export crops. The Japanese market was opened for the Egyptian agricultural exports of citrus for the first time in November 2020, a new certification for Egyptian products given the strength of the Japanese market’s procedures.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said that all countries that sponsor, support and shelter terrorists must be held accountable. During his speech before the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, President Sisi added that a comprehensive approach to confronting terrorism requires international cooperation, and stressed the importance for all countries to respect their obligations. Terrorism can only be eradicated by confronting the takfiri ideology within the framework of a comprehensive approach, Sisi explained, and warned that terrorism remains one of the most important challenges facing humanity in our time. Electing Egypt to chair the current 15th session of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission culminates Egypt’s active contribution to the United Nations peace-building structure since its construction in 2005, he added. And Sisi added that Egypt calls on the international community to improve the conditions of citizens in Palestine, and to deliver food and aid to them.

CAIRO – 22 September 2021: Egypt’s Ministers of International Cooperation and Environment Rania Al-Mashat and Yasmine Fouad launched national consultations with the World Bank Group (WBG) to discuss the general framework for climate action and the preparations for the climate and development report for Egypt. Minister Al-Mashat praised the successful partnership between Egypt and the World Bank Group, which supports national efforts to achieve development in many areas, including transport, housing, utilities, environment, health, among many others. Soliman stressed the importance of consultation and discussion with various sectors to highlight the opportunities to catalyze climate investments in response to climate change across all development sectors. Soliman also noted that climate change poses a threat to all countries, which requires collective effort by all stakeholders to advance Egypt's sustainable development plan, including combating climate change. Marina Wes, Regional Director of the World Bank office in Egypt, Yemen, and Djibouti, thanked the Egyptian government for collaborating in curbing the repercussions of climate change, noting that the World Bank Group seeks to support national efforts in terms of climate action, given the importance of these initiatives to enhance national and regional development efforts led by Egypt.

Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population on Tuesday reported 688 new coronavirus cases, 24 deaths, and 703 recoveries. A total of 298,296 cases have been disclosed in Egypt, alongside 17,016 deaths and 251,395 recoveries. Moreover, the Health Ministry has stated that official figures likely only represent 10 percent of actual cases. While Egypt’s Supreme Committee for the Management of Coronavirus Crisis lifted some COVID-19 restrictions back in June, there is talk of reinstating some measures. Egypt is set to receive 5.2 million doses of the Moderna and Pfizer coronavirus vaccines in September, Zayed announced.